Nigeria’s Dangote Refinery has raised concerns over the influx of substandard petroleum products entering the country, highlighting the lack of adequate testing facilities by the Nigerian oil regulator.
According to Dangote, these low-quality products, which include fuel and vehicle parts, are allegedly being imported by marketers in partnership with international traders.
The Punch recently reported that petroleum marketers accused the Dangote Refinery of setting higher petrol prices than imported alternatives, stating that Dangote charges bulk buyers ₦1,015 per liter, while smaller buyers face a price of ₦1,028 per liter.
A marketer quoted in the report claimed, “Imported PMS is cheaper than Dangote’s, which is why he wants the government to halt fuel imports.”
In response, Dangote Refinery refuted these allegations, stating it had set its ex-depot petrol price at ₦990 per liter for truck sales and ₦960 for shipments, aligning prices with international benchmarks.
In a statement by Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer Anthony Chiejina, the refinery stressed that any claims of cheaper imported petrol likely involve substandard products, accusing certain marketers and international traders of dumping low-quality fuel in Nigeria.
Chiejina further disclosed that an international trading company had established an oil depot near the Dangote Refinery with the apparent intent of undercutting its higher-quality products by flooding the market with cheaper, inferior fuel.
Additionally, Dangote criticized the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) for lacking the laboratory facilities needed to detect substandard imports.
This regulatory gap, the refinery warned, enables low-quality and potentially harmful products to reach unsuspecting Nigerian consumers.
